As the use of networked computers and other electronic devices has proliferated over the last twenty-five years, buildings are now routinely “wired” with communications cables that are used to interconnect various electronic devices within the building and/or to provide communications connectivity to external communications networks such as, for example, the Internet. As one example, most office buildings, schools and homes are routinely wired with so-called Ethernet cabling. Herein, the term “Ethernet cabling” refers to any communications cabling that has at least four twisted pairs of insulated conductors, specifically including unshielded and shielded cabling that is compliant with the Category 5, 5e, 6, 6A, 7 or higher industry standards for communications cabling, including both unterminated cables and cables that are terminated with connectors such as RJ-45 plugs (such terminated cables are typically referred to as “patch cords”).
In a typical installation, wall boxes (which are also referred to as “gang boxes” or “receptacles”) are mounted in the walls of various roams of a building, and one or more RJ-45 jacks are mounted in a faceplate that covers the wall box. RJ-45 plugs and jacks are well-known types of male and female connectors that are used to connect two Ethernet cables. Ethernet cables are routed from a central location such as a computer room, a telecommunications closet or the like through the walls and/or ceiling of the building to each RJ-45 jack. Patch cords may then be used to connect electronic devices to these RJ-45 jacks to allow the electronic devices to communicate with each other, with network equipment and/or with electronic devices in external networks via network switches, routers and/or other network equipment that is provided at the central location.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical connection where RJ-45 plugs and jacks and Ethernet cabling are used to connect an electronic device such as a computer 10 to network equipment such as a network switch 60 that is located in a remote location. As shown in FIG. 1, the computer 10 is connected by a patch cord 20 to an RJ-45 jack 30 that is mounted in a wall plate 40 that covers a wall receptacle (not shown). The patch cord 20 comprises a communications cable 22 that contains four twisted pairs of insulated conductors and RJ-45 plugs 24, 26 that are attached to the respective ends of the cable 22. The RJ-45 plug 24 is inserted into an RJ-45 jack (not shown) that is provided in the computer 10, and the RJ-45 plug 26 is inserted into a plug aperture 32 in the front side of the RJ-45 jack 30. The RJ-45 jack 30 includes a back-end wire connection assembly 34 that receives and holds the eight conductors 52 of an Ethernet cable 50 that is terminated into the back-end wire connection assembly 34. Each conductor 52 of cable 50 is individually pressed into a respective one of a plurality of slots provided in the back-end wire connection assembly 34 to establish mechanical and electrical connection between each conductor 52 of cable 50 and the RJ-45 jack 30. The other end of each conductor 52 in cable 50 may be connected to, for example, a network switch 60.
While many buildings are only wired with Ethernet cabling, in some cases it is necessary to provide communications cabling for other types of equipment such as, for example, HDMI, VGA, SDI and/or S-Video cabling for audio/video or video signals (e.g., television, DVR, etc.) or XLR ¼″ audio or ⅛″ audio ports (balanced or unbalanced, stereo or mono) for audio signals. For example, schools may be wired with audio/video cabling to allow close-circuit television signals to be distributed from a central location to the classrooms and/or with audio cabling so that announcements may be made at a central location and output through speakers in each classroom.